STERILE PROCESSING
Average annual salary increased by time in the SPD profession, with those with 25+ years of experience earning an aver- age of $84,153 and those with less than 2 years $48,290. Several of the SPD professionals inter- viewed for this article cited staffi ng short- ages as a major challenge to the profession. Could it be those in the profession are feel- ing more secure because there is less com- petition and more opportunities? “For the 40 locations I oversee, there are over 75 SPD vacant positions, some with a department of 12-15 and of that eight are travelers,” said Weir.
“I think it’s fair to say that most areas in healthcare are struggling for workers and sterile processing is no different,” said Janene McGlynn, CRCST, CIS, CER, CHL, Sterile Processing Lead, Cleveland Clinic. “Even before the pandemic there was a bit of a healthcare worker shortage, and that struggle has since been exacerbated.”
“We are not alone with these concerns and ques- tions about what is next, how we can fi nd more help, and how we can retain quali- fi ed staff,” said Berg. “With a lot of jobs in healthcare facing critical shortages, the challenge will be how we stand out and get the assistance we need.” “The short answer is continuing to do the great work we can by providing outstand- ing processing of medical devices,” Berg
Janene McGlynn
added. “Do not give anyone a chance to doubt our work or dedication - and keep us in the positive light with hospital leadership so they are more inclined to support well- functioning and productive departments.”
Fewer staff members, greater errors HSPA President Monique L. Jelks, BA, MSOL, CRCST, Clinical Educator, Sterile Processing, WellStar Cobb, Vinings, Paulding & Douglas Hospitals, said a major challenge SPD professionals face today is “the excessive amount of work needed to keep up with the surgical case volume.” “Overtime hours have always been desired, however, now they are demanded,” said Jelks.
Monique L. Jelks According to Jelks, there has been an
increase in tray errors in many level one trauma facilities, which she credits to “fatigued technicians who work excessive amounts of overtime to the point of exhaus- tion - losing their normal focus skills.” McGlynn said she has seen more SPD technicians leaving their jobs and “search- ing for better accommodations and cul- ture,” including adherence to industry standards, stating:
“We all have a higher awareness to changes in the standards. It’s not so much of putting off changes, but more planning on how to implement new guidelines. More people in SPD are buying into change, which makes our jobs more effi cient and
$91,268 SALARY BY REGION WITH BREAKOUTS BY GENDER
Pacifi c Mountain $69,754 PACIFIC - 8%
4% $76,222 4% $101,543
MOUNTAIN - 8%
5% $66,754 3% $76,267
CENTRAL - 28%
20% $61,160 8% $79,222
Central $64,278 Northeast
$73,190 Southeast
$55,643
SOUTHEAST - 18% 12%
6%
$52,121 $67,230
2% of survey respondents chose not to disclose their gender
36 June 2022 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
hpnonline.com NORTHEAST - 36%
28% $64,167 8% $95,690
foolproof. This is creating a circle effect, for our new and veteran techs being educated to new standards and have better expecta- tions for ourselves.”
An aging workforce
Over half (52%) of survey respondents were age 51 or older, and among those, 18% were between the ages of 61-70. Nearly half (45%) fell into the 31-50 age range, while only 1.5% were between the ages of 21-30. Kim Hughes, BA, CRCST, CHL, CIS, Central Processing Manager, Good Samaritan Hospital, Vincennes, Ind., said the aging workforce and high turnover have played a role in her department’s staffi ng challenges, stating: “There are quite a few of the staff that are at retire- ment age and when they retire, we lose that experi- ence. Currently, when we do hire, we must under- stand that a lot of the ones
Kim Hughes
hired will stay approximately a year and then move on. In SPD it takes about a year to feel comfortable in what you are doing and not be overwhelmed. Even if staffi ng is not a concern, the work is rigorous and physi- cally hard on the body and there are safety concerns which one must always be aware.” Hughes added: “Yes, we have had staff-
ing challenges but the staff that are here are dedicated! One had thought of retiring last year but didn’t want to leave us any shorter at that time. (Who else would do that?) I think the staff who are working through the shortages are some of the hardest working and caring. The shortages are hard, but I am very thankful for the people who are here.”
Travelers can both help and harm Today’s environment of mandatory over- time is driving some SPD technicians to leave the “traditional role in hospitals to take on contract work and or travel assign- ments,” according to Jelks.
“They can work so many weeks at a time then take off one or two weeks in between the 8– to 13-week assignments and get paid twice as much,” said noted. “Although con- tract work positions have a downside, such as full-coverage healthcare insurance and desired work location, it is still today a very desirable for technicians working above 40 hours per week to make surgery ends meet.” Weir said while “travelers are a great way
to fi x a short-term staffi ng shortage” it is not a sustainable solution, stating: “My issue with travelers is simple, they are not invested employees of the loca- tion and just want to work their 6–13- week contract and move on. Hospitals across the world cannot survive with this
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